We may already be feeling the impacts of artificial intelligence on science, industry, and entrepreneurship, but so its promise remains unfulfilled, it must be grounded on ethical governance and equitable access to development. This is what dozens of academics, entrepreneurs, and policymakers settled upon at the Deep Tech Summit held at the University Mohammed VI Polytechnic (UM6P) in Morocco, exploring AI’s transformative power.
The summit sought participants from 30 countries, along with almost 1,000 startups. During the course of 2 days and several panels, over 7,000 participants attended. The focal point that all attendees agreed upon was that responsibility must scale with capability, especially when dealing with such potent tools as AI.
“General-purpose technologies come with the need for general responsibility.”
Hicham El Habti, President of UM6P, highlighted the impact of AI on global systems and urged for ethical restraint in its use. He emphasized that AI’s full potential is only realized with equitable distributed governance, access, and an impartial impression across countries.
El Habti urged the discussion to consider the trajectory and consequences of innovation, rather than just the acceleration it is achieving. He emphasized the need to look beyond the noise and consider the destination, why, and for whom we are advancing. This requires a level of questioning that goes beyond the noise and considers the destination rather than the speed.
Navigating the Unknown: AI as a ‘New Fire’
Jalal Charaf, Chief Digital Officer at UM6P, compared AI to fire or electricity, stating that it is transformative but imperfectly understood. He compared AI to a drug, with unknown dosages, side effects, and proper applications.
Charaf emphasized the need for democratization of AI experimentation, allowing everyone to give it a test drive. This new era of innovation should be built on the shoulders of each member of society, including those not interested. Large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT can help people in various fields, such as business, economists, programmers, and artists, streamline their daily tasks and allow them to focus on critical thinking functions. This would lead to a more inclusive and effective approach to AI.
A new era in AI technology calls for focusing AI innovation on education.
Stavros N. Yiannouka, CEO of the World Innovation Summit for Education, argues that AI-driven education should be controlled and regulated. He proposes that AI-enabled education technology could act as intelligent agents, acting as brainstorming partners, collaborative scholars, tutors, decoders of learning materials, and assistants, thereby tailoring the education experience for individuals.
However, Yiannouka warns that the development of new forms of intelligence and metaconsciousness presents potential pitfalls. He suggests that society should ensure a framework for fostering awareness about these technologies and engaging with them, preventing mistakes made regarding social media. He also warns about the potential pitfalls of dealing with a new form of intelligence and metaconsciousness, and the need for a framework to prevent mistakes.
Moving from Theory to Practice
Steve Ciensinski, founder of Vencrest Partners and a professor at Stanford University, believes that AI should be seen as a human shift rather than a technology shift. He has established a Human-Centered-AI Institute at Stanford, focusing on using AI to its full potential for humans. Ciensinski emphasizes that adaptability and perseverance are crucial for commercial success in the AI industry. Startup companies with the agility to navigate changing markets, courage to move forward, and resilience are likely to succeed.
The untested quality of AI requires a scientific underpinning, which is risky for customers or individuals to use when it’s new and has never been invented. Building the future of AI will require a long-lasting capital structure, a specialized workforce, and patience from investors. It may take over 10 years for deep tech venture capital funds to see these technologies genuinely coming into play, but the opportunities are immense.
Shaping the Future of AI with Deliberate Strategy
While attending, the message from Morocco was evident: with great power comes great responsibility. The potential of AI is indeed immense, but it requires deliberate care in shaping whatever its future may hold. Thoughtful leadership, equitable resources, and global infrastructure will be necessary to guarantee that this technology empowers us instead of the irresponsible wielding of such advancements turning the tables.
